According to reports, Lampard has been in talks with Renhe and could be departing from Chelsea in the New Year.

According to the Daily Express, Renhe's deputy board chairman Yang Xiayou was quoted in reports published on Tuesday, saying the club was in contact with Lampard but that no deal had been done.

The news followed reports in which the club's chairman Dai Yongge had claimed Lampard would join them as captain in January, the paper added.

The move is reportedly being masterminded by super agent Pini Zahavi who is brokering a number of deals in China, it said.

According to a Chinese news channel, the midfielder has already agreed to go to China in the New Year and added that this information has come directly from the club's owner, the paper further reported.

The paper said, Chelsea are not prepared to offer more than a one-year extension to Lampard, who could secure a lucrative payday to finish his career elsewhere.

Lampard's contract is due to expire in June and the 34-year-old has already made 571 appearances for the club, which he joined from West Ham in 2001. (ANI[5])